A man has been cleared of murder after a popular Trowbridge lad Jordan Taylor died after being stabbed during a fight on a night out back in March.
Today at Bristol Crown Court, Hayden Maslen, 19, was found not guilty of murder.
Mr Maslen was also acquitted of manslaughter, wounding with intent and wounding without intent following an incident in the Timbrell Street and Prospect Place area of Trowbridge in the early hours of 12 March 2017.
He has pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article and is due to be sentenced.
Detective Inspector (deputy SIO) Jim Taylor said: “Firstly, our thoughts remain with Jordan Taylor’s family at what is clearly a very distressing time for them.
“This tragic case illustrates the real dangers of carrying weapons.
“Quite simply, there is never an excuse for carrying a weapon of any kind, because – as we have seen in this case – it can lead to tragic circumstances which leaves family and friends devastated.
“There is no easy solution to the scourge of knife crime, which impacts our communities and their feelings of safety. Tackling violence, involving knives, remains a key priority for the police service and we intend to keep up the momentum like working with schools and other partners to help educate young people on the dangers of knives; we will also continue to carry out specific police operations around this issue. This is the only way we can achieve a long term change.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of the police officers and police staff who have worked tirelessly on this investigation.
“We respect the decision of the jury and will continue to support all those involved.”
